Lawyers ’ Attitudes Toward Involuntary Treatment

This study examined whether lawyers ’ attributions of responsibility for mental illnesses affect their decisions about involuntary treatment. A survey that was mailed in 2003 to Illinois lawyers involved in involuntary commitment elicited recommendations for involuntary treatment for characters presented in vignettes. The survey also sought respondents ’ attributions of personal responsibility for the onset and recurrence of mental illnesses. A total of 89 lawyers responded to the survey, a response rate of 48 percent. Decisions to hospitalize persons with mental illness involuntarily increased significantly with the level of risk of harm and were significantly related to attributions of responsibility for the recurrence of mental illness. Decisions to recommend involuntary medication were not related to attributions of responsibility. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 34:492–500, 2006 In practice, lawyers as well as psychiatrists are influ-ential in making decisions about the commitment of persons with mental illnesses. Although both groups of professionals participate in involuntary hospital-ization processes, psychiatrists and lawyers may hold different views on the topic. For instance, in a previ